This is an amazing book of short stories. Its interesting and never boring, its thoughtful and intelligent, and it really makes a statement both aboutThis is an amazing book of short stories. Its interesting and never boring, its thoughtful and intelligent, and it really makes a statement both about the present and the future to come.

Nanotechnology, Robotics, AI's, copy right control(maybe greed is a better word), online worker's rights, and personal health are all themes you will see in these stories.

My two favorite stories in the collection of 6 are "Anda's Game" and "After the Seige".

"Anda's Game" is one of Doctoro's plays on classic sci-fi titles. This time its a play on Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game". Its a story of Massive Multiplayer Online games such as World of Warcraft and City of Heros. Its about the newest frontier of sweatshop labor, and competition between rival online sweatshops. If the story just had these themes as well as tight and skillfull writing, it would be great. Its ampted up to another level by the addition of another dimension to this girl power character. She is fat (I could say it another more PC way, but I'm fat too and why beat around the bush) and her online exploits tie in with her unhealthy eating habbits and lack of exercise, as well as poor self-image. Its a very interesting story, that I really feel does justice to the namesake it springs from.

My other favorite (amongst a batch of very good stories mite I say) is "After the Seige". This story on the surface has flavors of the Russian front of WWII, particularly the seige of Leningrad or the battle of Stalingrad. Yet when you look deeper it resonates also with the HIV V.S. Wealthy Western Corporations struggle you see in the African continent. Though I connected with "Anda's Game" on a more personal level, I felt a deeper social message resonating backward and forward in time from "After the Seige".

So its a fine book of Post-Cyberpunk/Globalization fiction, and I highly recommend it to fans of William Gibson and Neal Stephenson . Actually its a fine book of fiction period, it just also happens to be of the speculative varriety as well....more

You know I held out reading this book for the longest time. I've been a fan of William Gibson and the Cyberpunk sub-genre since the (not nearly as gooYou know I held out reading this book for the longest time. I've been a fan of William Gibson and the Cyberpunk sub-genre since the (not nearly as good as the story/books but still marginally entertaining) "Johnny Pneumonic" movie came out and led me to Mr. Gibson's works. I soon consumed them all and cyberpunk was my then and still favorite type of sci-fi. So when W.G. wrote a book that wasn't really cyberpunk or continuing his vision of the future, I was a bit shaken. I have to say I felt a little betrayed. Here was the father of the cyberpunk movement, that spawned at least half a dozen if not more emmulators, and he was throwing aside my beloved sub-genre. Plus it tied into September 11th 2001, which is a reality that I seak to escape or at least divorce myself temporarilly from when I'm in fiction.

So I said NO! This I will not countenance! And I moved on to other authors moving in the same sub-genre and then taking it along a natural progression to an even further advancement. And for a time, W.G. passed out of my notice.

Fastforward a few years and I'm driving a lot and borrowing audio books from the library. However, the scope of books I like to read often times have a limited crossover into the audio media. So I think hmmm...maybe I should try Pattern Recognition out. I still love W.G.'s writing style, how bad can it be. And I couldn't be more glad for it. It felt like settling into a long forgotten favorite activity. While the setting was different, it was still the same source behind it all. It became obvious to me that no longer was the cyberpunk world a conjecture on the world's future, its more an interpretation or aspect of the world we now live in. I felt almost stupid for resisting this book for so long. The character is strong, the story interesting and multifaceted just as W.G.'s past works have been, and in the end all the threads of narative come together in a beautifully crafted techno-thriller set on a globalized stage and lit with shades of classic Noir. Read this book if you like William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, and/or Cory Doctorow....more

This is an interesting, if innitially confusing, continuation in this new modern world of William Gibson's books.

There are three main characters to thThis is an interesting, if innitially confusing, continuation in this new modern world of William Gibson's books.

There are three main characters to this tale of corruption and high-tech skullduggery in the shadow of 9/11 and the war in Iraq. First up is Hollis Henry, a former music star (who's musical style is kind of left up in the air, though if I had to quess I'd say there are hints at either punk or gothic themed rock tones) turned freelance journalist working for Biggend (whom we met in "Pattern Recognition"). Tito, a member of a unique kind of espionage/crime family. He is raised in a culture of codified espionage and anonymity known as "systema" along with the mystical presence of the Orisha's in his life. And last and kind of least, is Milgrim an addict who also speaks Russian and can translate Valapuk (Roman characters used to represent the cyrilic Russian language in print).

Tito is easilly the most interesting character for me, simply because he is a cool combination of traditional (if extreme) martial/espionage training enhanced by being deeply steeped in mysticism (something I've liked in past cyberpunk novels of Gibson's). I have to say that despite his very interesting skill set, Tito is much like both Hollis and Milgrim in that he mostly just observes and goes with the flow of this world rather than taking a very active part in it. Its a far cry from some of Gibson's earlier Cyberpunk novels full of operatives involved in plots, but it still works. These characters while some what passive, still manage to make there own marks in the pattern of this narrative while acting as our tour guides through 3 very different perspectives on the same incident(s).

Its multilayered storytelling just like the Gibson I've always loved, and the impressions of our world today are just as multilayered.

Check it out. Its a rich tapestry of character, darkly detailed setting, and strangely humorous and compelling circumstances.

Oh also, not since Uncle Enzo in Neal Stephenson's "Snowcrash" have I loved an old school patriarch character this much....more

Brilliant! Fantastic fun! Its like Warren Ellis' version of an X-files-esque story. Of course its got the traditional Ellis elements of mistrust of naBrilliant! Fantastic fun! Its like Warren Ellis' version of an X-files-esque story. Of course its got the traditional Ellis elements of mistrust of nations/governments and unusual aspects of the fringe of humanity. I always learn interesting things about the rest of humanity after reading any Ellis work. Each story in this series is a oneoff. Its nice, no story goes on for too long and it keeps each one very fresh....more

Fantastic follow up to the first volume. This volume is just as strong, if not a bit stronger than the previous one. Any book that spawns the battle cFantastic follow up to the first volume. This volume is just as strong, if not a bit stronger than the previous one. Any book that spawns the battle cry "Deaht to the purple headed womb-broom!" is ok with me. You just CAN'T go wrong with Warren Ellis.

So basically the Global Frequency is a private organization that rescues the world from extreme disasters (usually involving fringe/extreme areas of science or fringe extremist groups) or defending itself against attacks from evil establishment bastards! Check this out if you like Warren Ellis and science/techno thrillers with a slight cyber-punk feel to it....more

A fantastic conclusion to this trilogy. The character of Hollis Henry is back, to great effect. As is the character of Milgrim, who ended up being myA fantastic conclusion to this trilogy. The character of Hollis Henry is back, to great effect. As is the character of Milgrim, who ended up being my favorite character of the two. Amazing pacing, fantastically vivid and poetic settings and characters, and Gibson's trade market intricate pattern of plots into one large tapestry (and not just in this book, but in this trilogy as well). It is an amazing book, and if you haven't read the Bigend trilogy from Gibson yet, go get Pattern Recognition and start. This is an amazing transition from Cyber-Punk by an author that never disappoints me. Great characters, intelligent and complex plots, beautiful and poetic prose and descriptions, and settings that make me feel like I've been there and need to go back because I forgot something. What more can you ask for?...more

Neal Stephenson is a delight to read as always. There is something about the way he directs me through his worlds that just syncs perfectly for me. HeNeal Stephenson is a delight to read as always. There is something about the way he directs me through his worlds that just syncs perfectly for me. He emphasizes things I would find interesting, he looks at details (even mundane ones) I would find intriguing and important. I can't put that certain something he has in to better words than that really. His books just seem to fit perfectly into my mind.

We are treated to a sprawling story of international intrigue, crime, and violence. We are also treated sprawling story of globalization, interconnectedness, systems (mostly economic and political, but a few others), and one massive multi-player online game. I can't really describe it better than this with out A) giving away details it will be more fun for you to suss out for yourself and, B) making this review two pages long. Suffice it to say there are amazingly real characters cast on a global stage and while at first many seem to have only peripheral connections, they are all interconnected. There is a nice re-occurring motif of interconnection/globalization as well as the cyclical nature of life and beginnings and endings.

That being said, this book is also full of hilarious and action packed scenes. Its a well written and lengthy page turner and I dare you to find a section that is ACTUALLY boring. Go on and try. If you like what would be called techno-thrillers but crave something with a little more going on under the hood than you run of the mill Tom Clancy, then check this out. Neal Stephenson has yet to disappoint me as a writers.

As always support your brick and mortar (i.e. physical, not amorphously digital) bookstores!...more